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Solar Blood Masters (133)
🕑 Added 2024-12-11 13:00:03 +0000 UTCChapter 133 - Lightning Veil
Flashing lights. An earsplitting crackle of electricity. And then...
Lu Ruby, Hellphet, and Splinter Roc materialized on their designated platform within the tumultuous realm of ‘Lightning Veil.’
A continuous barrage of lightning strikes bombarded the sky around them. Those bolts were a magnificent, yet scary display of raw power. It was an oppressive and chaotic environment.
"Such... untamed energy." Lingshi, the last to arrive, surveyed the landscape with a calm gaze. He was unfazed by the chaotic storm raging around them, for he had witnessed far greater calamities during his long life.
His keen eyes observed the platforms scattered across the expanse. Each platform hosted a team. The platforms were spread apart at irregular distances. Some huddled close together while others were isolated amidst the treacherous terrain. It was a strategic layout that had him nodding in approval.
“Hmmm, those organizers have truly outdone themselves.”
He then noticed several stone shrines with massive pillars erected around them. These shrines, ancient and weathered, were scattered throughout the stage, offering a semblance of order amidst the chaos.
“Those shrines… they’ll provide added shelter from the lightning strikes, a wise addition to this challenge.” He stroked his long, white beard thoughtfully.
His gaze then drifted towards the ground below. Each lightning strike, with its combined and repeated bolts, left behind craters filled with bubbling magma. It was a fiery landscape in constant flux, both beautiful and hellish.
“Those bolts possess a potent energy, capable of tempering the body and soul of a cultivator who seeks the ‘Lightning Dao.’ But for those unprepared, those whose essence is weak, they could be ripped to shreds and incinerated by those very energies they crave.”
"Lightning Dao…?" Splinter Roc overheard Lingshi. He tilted his head in curiosity. He'd heard of this path, but it was a dangerous one, a path that many had attempted to master, only to perish from those very bolts they’d sought to control.
Hellphet shivered. He'd seen firsthand what a lightning strike could do to a creature's flesh. It wasn't a pleasant sight. "Those bolts, they're terrifying. I hope we don't get struck.”
"Hmph, pathetic." Lu Ruby scoffed. "I don't fear a few bolts of lightning. I've been through far worse training back in 'Fol Ash'." She puffed out her chest, remembering those brutal sparring matches against the young dragon whelps. "Those dragons are much deadlier than a few sparks."
‘Fol Ash?’ Lingshi was intrigued. That realm, it was legendary for its harsh conditions and those creatures that resided there were truly terrifying. ‘This young serpent has been to that dreadful realm? No wonder she acts so arrogant. I now understand why Lu Ignis entrusted her safety to me.’
But a new question surfaced, ‘What skills has she brought back from that place?’
Before he could inquire, Hellphet interrupted, “Look! What’s that?!”
He pointed towards a distant section of the tumultuous sky.
A jumbled mass of colors was swirling within the clouds.
And then…
BOOM!
A lightning bolt struck!
And for a fleeting moment, a creature materialized. It was thin and sleek, comprised of pure lightning, dancing within the heart of those bolts!
It was gone in a flash!
But they'd glimpsed its form. Its long, sinuous body. A unique eye that seemed to see everything at once. Its tail was a blur of energy. And as it dashed and skipped from one lightning strike to another, its cheeky grin radiated a joyous glee that only those who’d mastered the 'Lightning Dao' could truly understand.
“That’s the Liu Fuuyi! It must be! Let’s go after it!” Lu Ruby was eager to begin the hunt, her scales practically vibrated.
But…
"WAIT, Princess.” Lingshi stopped her.
“What for? The Liu Fuuyi is RIGHT there!" She was puzzled.
"Patience, Princess. This stage… It is not so SIMPLE."
He extended a hand.
WHOOSH!
A ‘World Canvas’ unfurled before him. It glowed.
“Capture!”
The scene before them began appearing on the canvas in black, intricate strokes!
Within the scene depicted…
"He’s painting the entire ‘Lightning Veil’!” Hellphet gasped. Such incredible detail. Such mastery over his art.
Lingshi zoomed in on a section of the canvas.
It revealed…
…the Liu Fuuyi!
It was dashing around those deadly lightning strikes as it laughed and giggled!
Using one of his 'mental hands', Lingshi grasped a paintbrush. He quickly drew a perfect circle around the Liu Fuuyi.
And the creature…
It was trapped within the circle!
Lu Ruby, Hellphet, and Splinter Roc watched with a stunned amazement. Such powerful strokes! Such skill!
"Incredible, Master Lingshi!” Splinter Roc was awestruck. He'd never seen anyone control the World Canvas with such ease.
“This… This is a technique worthy of the Gods!”
Lingshi nodded, pleased with their reaction. He then expanded the canvas, zooming in on the creature so they could get a better look at it.
The creature’s form was now clearly visible.
It was a magnificent, yet somewhat strange sight.
It was a being comprised of pure lightning essence! It resembled a snake but with a more humanoid face, that cheeky grin they'd glimpsed earlier. It had countless tendrils of energy shooting out from its body. It was as if a thousand tiny lightning bolts had come to life! It had only one eye, an omnidirectional eye, but it was on the INSIDE of its head, encased within an electric membrane.
“It’s as if its eye is gazing upon those realms beyond…” Hellphet’s comment had Lu Ruby shuddering. “That’s creepy!”
And lastly… a powerful tail, that allowed it to swim from lightning strike to lightning strike, trailing behind it like a comet’s tail.
Lingshi smile softly, “Now, to extract it from my canvas…”
He reached out with a mental hand, aiming to pull the creature into reality…
But… it vanished!
“Where did it…?”
They turned to look at the actual Liu Fuuyi. It was fading! It dissolved into a wisp of smoke, its cheerful laughter was no more.
“What’s… What’s going ON?!”
Lu Ruby was baffled.
Lingshi then explained in the tone of an ancient sage sharing secrets gleaned from a thousand lifetimes.
“The Liu Fuuyi are an elusive and rare type of creature. They are born within the very heart of a lightning strike, and as such, their existence is ephemeral. Their lifespans, tragically, last only for a few fleeting milliseconds. To carry on, they must continuously skip from one lightning strike to another, like a dancer with a thousand partners. Such is their fate, a life of exhilarating chaos and brevity.”
He watched as they absorbed his words, then continued.
“It is said, that those fleeting moments of their existence, they are filled with a boundless joy, a euphoria that only comes from experiencing the purest form of Lightning Essence. If they are ever deprived of those high voltage surges, if their dance is interrupted… They will perish.”
He paused, then added, “Capturing a Liu Fuuyi… it is a task few can achieve. It requires speed. Cunning. And a touch delicate enough to coax those chaotic essences into a more stable form. Brute force will only shatter them.”
He then turned his attention towards the five crystal tubes on their platform. Their transparent surfaces had faint, blue light within.
“It appears these tubes are capable of housing the Liu Fuuyi for a short duration. However, transporting them… is risky.” He gestured towards the countless bolts raining down. “They are fragile, these tubes. One strike, and the captured Liu Fuuyi will vanish.”
He then extended a hand towards his ‘World Canvas’, “Fear not, for I have a better idea.”
He began to paint.
Intricate tubes, resembling a network of veins, materialized on the canvas.
He then dipped his brush in a special ink. A potent blend of powdered ‘Ink Crystals’ and his own essence.
It glowed with a pale-blue light.
“Lightning Incarnate.” He whispered as he carefully painted those tubes with a magnificent skill.
And within those tubes…
…miniature bolts of lightning crackled to life!
They buzzed and danced.
He then carefully transferred those intricate tubes onto blank Sagewood Scripts, each script was capable of holding one tube. He withdrew three Sagewood Scripts from his canvas.
He handed one to each of his teammates.
“These, I call the ‘LFL Catchers’. Use them wisely. Simply get within a few meters of a Liu Fuuyi, and unfold the script. The lightning within… it’ll attract the creature, coaxing it to enter the tube. Once trapped, quickly return to the platform, and transfer the Liu Fuuyi into one of the crystal tubes before the painted lightning fades. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Lord Lingshi!”
They were eager to try his technique.
“Go! I will remain here, guarding the platform. Should you require more ‘LFL Catchers’, return swiftly.”
They nodded, and then with a burst of speed…
…they vanished into the chaotic storm.
